Baptism of the Holy Spirit

To do God’s work, we need God’s power. Jesus told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8).

IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR EVERYONE?

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and who are children of God through Him (Acts 2:38-39).

WHAT IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs when the Spirit of God comes upon a believer. The Holy Spirit fills the believer’s mind with genuine understanding of truth, takes possession of the believer’s abilities, and imparts gifts that qualify the believer for service in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit also speaks to the hearts of unbelievers, showing them their need for salvation (John 16:7-11). When a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells inside him or her (John 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:13). But believers also need the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5-8).

WHY WE NEED THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers believers for service, witness, spiritual warfare, and boldness in their testimonies (Acts 1:8, 4:19-20, 29-31; 6:8-10; 1 Corinthians 2:4). Jesus commanded the disciples not to begin the work to which He had called them until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:4,8). When the apostles met believers in Christ, they at once asked whether the believers had received the Holy Spirit. If not, they made sure the believers received Him (Acts 8:14-16; 19:1-5). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity in every Christian’s life for the service to which God has called us.